I’ve NEVER been able to wear foundation of any kind. Even tinted moisturizer feels too heavy for me. I also never felt the need to wear “real” makeup (thanks to fairly good genes + humidity + a casual work environment + generally being very low-maintenance). But now, at 35, looking a little more polished is very appealing. A makeup sponge has made all the difference in being able to apply makeup that looks natural while still being visible enough not to be pointless. (That’s my high bar. ;-) I use this with L’Oreal Pro-Glow Foundation. It’s great.

Don’t be put off by the silly (albeit true) name and the bright compact colors. This is a great everyday palette for makeup minimalists like me. I purchased this on a whim while wandering around Ulta. This is technically an eye and cheek palette but the lightest shade makes the perfect highlighter and I am convincing myself the brown shades work for mild contouring. I love and use every single color in this palette.

I’ve had this purse for almost five years, I think, and I LOVE it. It is my go-to. It’s minimal and sleek yet surprisingly roomy. I love the open middle compartment (although admittedly, I often don’t fasten it and it bugs my mom that my purse is always hanging open), which allows me easy access to my phone or whatever. It fits my Kindle or a paperback easily, plus my full-sized wallet, AirPods, glasses, whatever. It packs flat, so I always bring it on trips. I love this so much and, even though it’s a little pricy, I will certainly purchase another one if it ever dies.

I’ve had this bag for almost a decade (so my particular bag is a little different than what’s currently being sold). It is incredibly lightweight and versatile. It has tote straps and backpack straps. It’s perfect for travel, as a carry-on, a beach bag, and as an extra bag to keep on hand for purchases. It’s also a great diaper bag, although happily those days are behind us.

Thrift store huaraches

I eyed the Nisolo huaraches for a while and then decided to pop into the nearest Goodwill to see if I could find anything similar, knowing my chances were very slim. (I’m also VERY hard on my shoes so it hurts to spend a lot of money on them.) Can you believe I found the perfect pair, in the perfect color, in my exact size, for three dollars?? I’ve worn these shoes DAILY for the past two months. They go with everything and they are so comfortable.

These were my first purchase when we visited the US this summer. I was looking for something longer I could wear, since I’ve recently realized I really dislike wearing dresses shorter than midi-length at school. I ended up wearing this dress at least two or three times a week. It’s crazy comfortable and easily dresses up or down. (Note: it's shorter than most maxi dresses, which some people might not like.)

Paul thoughtfully bought me clothes from Muji for Mother’s Day, but one of the items didn’t work with my wardrobe. With his blessing, I went to the store to exchange it. Returns and exchanges are generally much more complicated here than in the US and, long story short, I ended up with limited options. I grabbed this cardigan with some hesitation (it’s LONG), but it has proven to be one of my most-used items of clothing. It’s perfect for travel — warm and blanket-like while still being thin. It pretty much goes with everything. I wore it often with the clothing described above.

Will refrain from waxing eloquent since I already did in my last post, but I couldn’t help but mention these again because I love them so much. Instead, here’s a short list of some of what I’ve enjoyed listening to the past month or so:

Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance — Narrated by the author. Very enlightening; a worthwhile listen.

In My Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg — This is special because it intersperses a biography of RBG with actual excerpts from her speeches and opinions.

A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren — Regardless of your politics, I think it would be very difficult to listen to this and NOT be compelled by Warren’s passion and her life story.

I JUST discovered this app (via the Strategist), which pairs long reads from major publications (New Yorker, The Atlantic, New York Times Magazine, Pro Publica, etc.) with excellent narration, so you can listen to long form articles instead of reading them. I listen to everything at 1.5x and it’s great.

This is a departure from my usual fare in podcasts but I love this. It’s basically two friends talking casually about self-care. The hosts are smart, vulnerable, and endlessly supportive of one another. It’s very uplifting.

We’ve spent the last 5 weeks in the US — we’re actually heading to the airport to return to Taiwan as I type. (Please forgive any typos. I’m posting on my phone.) It’s been a full but restful summer. We took part in an incredible rainbow-themed wedding, road-tripped around New England in my in-laws’ tricked out RV with my parents, and hit more thrift stores than I can count. :) Will write a separate road-trip post later (hopefully).

My in-laws have an amazing home. They own 100 acres on a mountain in Western PA. We spent much of our visit taking the four-wheeler around the woods, eating outside, sitting in the hot tub, swimming. It’s the perfect summer destination and I am so thankful for their hospitality (both to us and our visiting friends!).

I have newly come to love audiobooks. I want to write a separate post just on this, but in short, I got AirPods and a Brooklyn Public Library account and it’s changed my reading life dramatically. I’ve found I most enjoy listening to nonfiction and reading fiction.

I’ve read A LOT this summer! Best books so far: Less by Andrew Sean Greer; Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz; Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong; two biographies about RBG; and Elizabeth Warren’s A Fighting Chance. I’ve also listened to a bunch of parenting books (not my usual thing, but my daughter is pre-teening hard, so...)

I purchased a black maxi-dress with a minimal white floral print our first day back and I’ve worn it all summer! Seriously—I’ve probably worn it twice a week for the past 5 weeks. It is so nice to stumble upon an item of clothing that is so versatile. This has basically been the summer of my black dress and my thrift-store huaraches (which I have worn every single day since I purchased them).

As I’m approaching middle-age (I’m 35), I have started to find makeup interesting. Favorite additions — a beauty blender and highlighter. Now I’m on the hunt for the perfect MLBB lipstick.

I have also jumped on the natural skincare bandwagon. Coconut oil at bedtime and (diluted) apple cider vinegar mornings and evenings, and my face has never been clearer or more healthy-feeling. Lucy is not a fan of the ACV smell. She recoiled the first time she sniffed my newly-cleaned face and exclaimed, “That’s the opposite of perfume. That’s like STINK-fume.” Still worth it.

This is the first year in a loooong time I haven’t followed the World Cup beyond headlines. I’m sad about this. The WC has been my version of the Olympics. I used to always make predictions about what will change in our lives by the next WC. Four years is enough time to bring about major life changes. I have no predictions for 2022. I think partly it’s because we’re getting to the stage of life when loved ones are aging and I’ve become constantly more aware of the fragility of the world. It feels like a sharp turn from the optimistic daydreaming I’ve felt when making four-year predictions in the past. Am I more cynical or just more aware? Maybe it really is just that I’m getting older.

I have so much gratitude for the summer vacation that comes with being a teacher. It is such a gift to be able to be with my kids while they’re on break (I still remember the stress of arranging summer daycare) and have the TIME to travel.

I am finally thinking ahead to the rapidly approaching school year. It’s going to be the first year in which I’ll have the same teaching load as the previous year. I LOVE teaching juniors and seniors. The only thing I don’t like is getting attached to seniors and then having to say goodbye.

I gave the commencement speech this year. It was so nerve-wracking but also such an honor. Funny surprise — just as I was joking about “roasting” the seniors, one of them fell off the risers. It was really funny (because she didn’t get hurt).

Hard to post photos with spotty internet on the road, but here’s one of Lucy catching a dish within seconds of grabbing hold of the pole:

We have a letter board in our dining room that says “NOTHING IS BORING.” Clearly that’s aspirational. :) We hear choruses of “I’m bored! What should I do?” as much as the next parent, I’m sure (particularly from one child).

I helped that child make a “Not Bored” list and she quickly came up with the idea of playing with the chemistry set in the kitchen. It kept both kids entertained for over an hour, so I’d consider that a win (even though things inevitably ended in a sisterly spat, as is wont to happen these days).

It was also a fun opportunity to try out the iPhone X’s portrait mode. It’s definitely still beta-quality, but it’s fun.

Even more fun? The “bounce” feature, which turns Live Photos into GIFs. (Just open the Live Photo in Photos, swipe up on the image, then select “bounce”.) This is available on any iOS 11 device with Live Photo capabilities, not just the iPhone X.

Now I just need to figure out a way to embed Live Photo GIFs on the blog.

Lunar New Year break

The whole family was thrilled that Shelby joined us for CNY break. We packed a lot into her week here! We spent three days on Green Island (lots of adventures and beauty, some ferry puking), wandered around Tainan, and saw waterfalls and mountain forests alike. We also spent a few days just hanging around the house. It was a near-perfect break!

Nintendo Switch

I bought Paul a Switch for Christmas and it has been a huge hit for the whole family. The biggest hit? Zelda, of course. 3/4 family members are obsessed (I am the lone holdout). The Switch has been a bonding point for a chunk of our staff housing community — four families got consoles over the holidays and it is a normal occurrence to have friends of all ages stopping by to compare notes and share tips. (Meanwhile, I'm loving Mario Kart and Puyo Puyo Tetris.) We even had a grown-up Switch party — we set up two gaming areas and then ended the night with an epic game of 1 - 2 -Switch. Hilarious.

Capsule wardrobe 2.0

I've been thinking a lot about decision fatigue recently, initially sparked by Better than Before (Gretchen Rubin) which discusses how habit-formation helps us by taking away the necessity of making decisions. I've long been intrigued by the idea of uniform dressing (ala Obama) but haven't felt quite ready to bite the bullet. I've decided to go with a cross between a uniform/capsule/"no-brainer" wardrobe. Last weekend (instead of grading papers), I pulled out my favorite (roughly) 30 items of clothing and folded/put away the rest. I'm going to rotate through these items until I get bored and/or the seasons change; after that, I'll switch out the 30 for warmer-weather clothing. So far, it's been great. I pretty much rotate between 4 button downs, 1 sweater, and 3 tees. All the clothes hanging on the rack fit well and require no thought.

Haircut

I cut my hair over Christmas break! Then I cut it again just a month later! You can't really tell from the picture, but it's properly short — the back of my neck is fully exposed and I sure can't tie my hair back in a ponytail anymore (which was precisely the point). I've basically had the same hair my whole life and I have spent 90% of my waking hours with my hair in a ponytail. It's kind of nice to have to wear my hair down for a change. Having short hair is actually much higher maintenance, but surprisingly, I am enjoying actually having to care about my hair. For the first time in my life, I blow dry my hair almost daily. The awesome thing is it takes about 5 minutes (as opposed to 30, before). I also use a flat iron on the regular. Who am I??

Reading update

I've recently read

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler (intriguing)

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (fun!)

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (for the second time — still a cringy-yet-engrossing read)

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (first time rereading since high school and I'd forgotten how good it is)

the aforementioned Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin

On Writing by Stephen King (absolutely lives up to the hype).

I'm 4 books ahead of my 52-book goal for the year. It hasn't been hard. Just about to dig into Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe for AP English.

Light — sunlight/sunrise. I want to wake up early and develop a morning routine that may include exercise, prayer, reflection/journaling, meditation, or even just pleasure. I want to greet the day with enthusiasm. (This means going to bed at a decent hour every night and perhaps tracking my time for a week to see how I can better approach my days).

Light — the opposite of heavy. I tend to take myself (and everything) too seriously. I feel like I am getting even more uptight with age. This year, I want to lighten up a bit. I want to see humor in awkward situations and I want to let things go instead of overthinking everything. (But please don’t tell me to lighten up... that probably won’t end well. :)

Light — clutter-free. I want to create and maintain streamlined systems to lighten up my environment. This means figuring out (once and for all?) how to keep papers organized at school and clothing organized at home.

Light — I want my (newfound?) positivity to be evident to others (Matthew 5:16) and I want it to be contagious. I’m especially thinking about my children and my students, who carry burdens of their own. I want to lighten their burdens instead of adding to them (even when I am piling on the homework).

Light — My faith is complicated and can be a source of disquiet rather than strength or comfort. I know this isn’t right — God says he is our light and our salvation. (Psalm 27:1) I want to know this deep down.

I set the same reading goal for 2017 as I did in 2016 — 52 books, or a book a week. Happily, I hit my goal — and exceeded it by 10 books. (You can see the whole list of books here.) It actually started off as a rough year for reading. I hit a dry spell between April to June (I pretty much didn't finish a single book for two months)! I got so behind on my reading challenge, I considered giving up. Then I picked up just the right book to kickstart my reading and I ended up completing 31 books in November and December!

Without further ado, here are the books I enjoyed most in 2017 (in no particular order).

Disclaimer: if you are one of my students and you happened to find this, please note my reviews are based on personal enjoyment and are not meant to be recommendations. I have included warnings; nonetheless, if you're interested in one of these books, please talk with me or a parent before reading.

My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante

I actually didn't hear of The Neopolitan Series until The Story of the Lost Child came out last year (I remember reading several articles debating the ethics of attempts to uncover Ferrante's true identity), but somehow felt inspired to give the series a shot before Thanksgiving break this year. I couldn't put the books down — I finished the books in 5 days, the first three crammed around hectic work days. (I remember choosing to walk to school instead of biking so I could read for an extra five minutes before work!) I can't quite put my finger on why these books are so compelling — for sure, there are quirks to the storytelling I found unfamiliar or even odd — but there was something about following the two main characters over decades of growth and change that absolutely kept me invested. (Warning: dark themes and perhaps graphic scenes—I can’t remember!)

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

I bought Anna the first of this series maybe two years ago and she was never interested in reading it. Luckily for both of us, I preloaded it onto her Kindle (a Christmas present!), and she read it because she didn't have other options. She LOVED the book and flew through the rest of the series — and I loved it, too. (In fact, I am currently in the middle of Book 3.) There is something wholesome, heartwarming, and somewhat old-fashioned about the four sisters' adventures. This would be a great series to read aloud.

Moonglow by Michael Chabon

I've loved Chabon since I found myself captivated by The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay more than a decade ago. This — a fictionalized account of Chabon's grandfather's life — was right up there in terms of reading enjoyment. Part of what I love about Chabon is his (hyper-intellectual) vocabulary and his obscure allusions; I'd say this is his most accessible book yet, but it doesn't suffer for it. I really enjoyed this.

Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco

This is a very recent read — I purchased a copy during our first bookstore visit here in the Philippines last week. I knew I was in for a treat within the first few pages. The book is ostensibly a mystery centered on Crispin Salvador, a (fictional) Filipino writer who is found dead in New York City under mysterious circumstances. The protagonist, who shares the author's name, takes it upon himself to write about Salvador's life, and as such heads back to the Philippines to conduct interviews with acquaintances and relatives. I've read that the real-life Syjuco doesn't like this designation, but I'd consider this book post-modern (or post-post-modern?) in its style and structure — it's very meta. The book is comprised of the aforementioned narrative thread as well as chunks of writing from fictional Salvador's works, but also includes another layer adding to the main narrative, in which portions of the protagonist's first-person story is also told in an omniscient third-person point of view. Confusing? The book is a little confusing, too, but I found it plenty fun to just keep reading and enjoy the ride. I liked the book because of its familiarity (so many of the scenes and cultural references hit close to home) and because of its subject matter — the Philippines and its complicated identity, literature and its power (or lack of power) to incite change — but I wonder if a reader unfamiliar with the Philippines would find it less compelling.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

I find Green's brand of heart and braininess so attractive, I often wish I could jump into his books and become best friends with all the characters. I enjoyed this much more than The Fault in Our Stars (which is actually perhaps my least favorite Green book, although I liked it better upon a second reading). Aza, the protagonist, struggles with anxiety and OCD and, while my own challenges aren't exactly like hers, I found her story so relatable, so recognizable. I've loaned my copy out to several high school students and they've all loved it. (Warning: could be triggering.)

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

I lucked into reading this because my colleague (and much-appreciated reader-friend) happened to be reading this with students he is tutoring and loaned me a copy. I ended up reading the entire thing in one very, very emotional evening. I have trouble putting my finger on where exactly the power of this narrative comes from — is it the complicated relationship between the speaker and his father that makes it so real, or is it the depiction of Jews as mice (and the Nazis as cats) that lends it both enough distance and enough proximity to make familiar horrors new? Each page is painful but infinitely worth reading. (Warning: this is obviously a dark and disturbing book. Please read it anyway.)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I read this multiple times this year because it's part of the curriculum for a new class I'm teaching (AP English). I initially read it quite grudgingly, not sure I wanted to teach it at all. I'm glad I didn't skip it, but I happily admit it was the discussions with my students that really made me enjoy this book. (I'd argue one of the best parts of being an English teacher is having a ready-made book club, with members that sure as heck better read the book and be prepared to discuss. :) My students helped me see interpretations I hadn't seen on my own. My favorite takes are a questioning of the monster's reliability (and thus the ending of the story) and an interpretation of Frankenstein's creation as a Faustian bargain. There's much to unpack in this book and it's so enjoyably dark and "emo."

Green Island by Shauna Yang Ryan

I'm not aware of too many English-language books about Taiwan, so I was pretty excited to stumble upon this at our local bookstore. Paul picked it up right before he took a group of students to Green Island and he found it absolutely gripping. When I read it shortly afterward, I shared his sentiments. This book made me feel ashamed about how little I know about Taiwan's politics and how unaware I've been about the brutality of its history. The story follows a young girl whose father is accused of being a political dissident and is subsequently arrested during the now infamous 228 Incident. He reappears more than a decade later, but his return is painful and complicated for the whole family. It's an ambitious book, as the narrative follows the daughter's own growing political awareness after she moves to the US as an adult. It's also beautifully written. (Warning: some graphic scenes but they’re fairly isolated.)

The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen

This is an unusual pick for me — I prefer fiction, and I have complicated feelings about books centered on spirituality. I read this for work and, happily, I'm so glad I read it. Nouwen explores the faith practices of the "desert fathers and mothers" (a group of people I admittedly am not too familiar with). What I loved about this book is its message of simplicity — anyone who knows me knows I overthink everything, and overthink nothing more than my spiritual beliefs — and it was so refreshing and relieving to hear someone say (so gently) that maybe all we need to pray sometimes is "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

I reread this after I randomly took a quiz purporting to tell me which literary character I am most like (Franny, apparently). I'd read this before but remembered very little about it and am so glad I read it again. Yes, I absolutely relate to Franny — her emotionality, her instability, her simultaneous shallowness and depth, her desperation to find peace and truth. If you've read this, you'll know she is fixated on the Jesus prayer, the very prayer mentioned in the Nouwen book above. At any rate, the Franny story hit very close to home and, while I find Zooey quite insufferable, reading this made me want to take another deep dive into Salinger's body of work.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

If we were to play "Which of these is not like the others?", this book would take the cake. It's the third and final installment in Han's To All the Boys I Loved Before series. I would perhaps be embarrassed to love a book that is so obviously a fluffy teenage love story, but I really enjoyed this series. I love that the main character, Lara Jean, is half-Asian. I love that she is dorky and innocent. I love that she loves her family. I love the relationship between the sisters. This is a series I will no doubt reread again because it is just so fun.

Honorable mentions:

The War that Saved My Life — Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Read this upon (4th grader) Anna's recommendation. It's about Ada, a girl with a club foot, who evacuates London with her brother during the second World War and finds herself in the care of a distant (but ultimately kind) woman. It's a lovely story that anyone would enjoy.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine — Gail Honeyman

This is a quick read that is both funny and dark. I found the twist in the end unnecessary, but I still liked this book a lot. (Warning: could be triggering.)

Little Fires Everywhere — Celeste Ng

Wow. I can basically copy and paste the lines I wrote for Eleanor Oliphant above. Funny but dark, easy to read but with surprising depth. Also felt like some of the drama was unnecessary, but it was still good.

I've long said a dream job would be any job that would allow me to request books from publishers. I recently realized I don't need to quit my day job to make that a reality. I've joined a couple of review programs that allow me to request books for review. So far, I've read and enjoyed The Heirs by Susan Rieger and The Golden House by Salman Rushdie. Check out those reviews (and more to come) here! You can find my reviews and other book-related posts by clicking on the "Book Reviews" tab above.

I love Design Mom (Gabrielle Blair seems like she would make an excellent friend — she is so smart and thoughtful) and it is very cool to see our humble-but-beloved Taiwan apartment featured this week! I am especially happy about this little tribute to our home because we'll be in a different apartment next year.

Working on this post reminded me, yet again, to be thankful for our home and life here.

We decided a mere four days before break to head to the Philippines for Easter vacation. I'm so glad we did! It was a very relaxing week. My parents live in a high rise apartment building right in the middle of a shopping district. It's such a change of pace to live an elevator ride away from a mall. In the week we were there, we got to go out for coffee every day, swim in a rooftop pool, and — best of all — spend time with family.

The sunrise from our apartment window our first day in the Philippines.

ORCHID ISLAND

The school asked Paul and me to be chaperones for the 9th grade biology trip to Lan Yu (Orchid Island). I was mostly excited to spend time with my former students, whom I love and miss, but it was also really cool to get to explore a new place. Orchid Island is a two-hour ferry ride away from Kenting. I was blown away by the island's relatively untouched beauty. We had an amazing time! Highlights for me were snorkeling in the Pacific, hiking a steep and muddy path to a crater lake, and yes, hanging out with the students. I feel so lucky we got to go.

A panoramic shot of Orchid Island from the outgoing ferry.

RECENTLY READ

It's been a while since I checked out books my students are reading — I figured spring break would be a good opportunity to do so. I read all three of Stephanie Perkins' "name" books (they're pretty much exactly what I expected by judging the books from the covers) in quick succession. While I normally eschew these types of books, it's hard to deny that they're fun. They also remind me of how it feels to be a teenager, which doesn't hurt since I am surrounded by teenagers every day.

I randomly wandered onto Powells.com and saw they're having an Earth Day sale (buy two used books, get one free). I made a large purchase in record time: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love & Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed, Poems by Elizabeth Bishop, A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami, Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins, Aimless Love by Billy Collins, All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren, Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, and The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay. I got all of these for the price of roughly 3 books here.

MOVING!

We'll be in a different apartment next school year! There are always housing shuffles when staff come and go. We decided to move when a first floor apartment in the neighboring building opened up. We LOVE our current 7th-floor apartment (it's so bright!), BUT there's much to anticipate about the new apartment. Our talented photographer friend Michael kindly agreed to take some photos of our current apartment for memory's sake. Here's one of our record player/map wall.

I recently ordered a Polaroid Zip. I've had it for about two weeks now and have gone through a pack and a half of film (there are 10 sheets/pack).

Things I Like:

Paper is inexpensive, especially compared to Instax.

It doesn't use ink! The "ink" is in the paper.

The prints are stickers! I love that I can peel the back off a shot and immediately stick it in my journal.

Since the photos print without a frame, you can print two (or more) images on one sheet and cut them up. For example, I printed six (tiny) images of book covers, cut them out, and stuck the images in my journal.

The printer prints quickly.

It is rechargeable via USB! (Most Instax cameras and printers run on a CR2 battery.)

Things I Dislike:

The app is SUPER buggy. Seriously. I can't believe I didn't think to look up app reviews before purchasing because you are 100% reliant on the app to print pictures.

As mentioned in many iTunes reviews, pairing is not intuitive. The app makes it look like you should pair the printer with your phone within the app, but really, you first need to manually pair through your phone's bluetooth settings.

Cropping and resizing are buggy. For some reason, you have to click into the edit tool to see how the image will print and often, the app will automatically zoom into your image (and you can't zoom back out). It's hard to explain, but the sizing is really weird.

Even worse: sometimes, once you have the image sized/cropped the way you want, the printouts don't match what's on the screen. It will at times print correctly; other times, it will print the zoomed-in image (see below).

L-R: 1) This is what you see when you first select an image. You’d THINK this is what would print if you hit the print button, but instead… 2) This is what will print. If you want to print the WHOLE image, you can rotate it, like so… 3) SOMETIMES (like what’s pictured), the app will keep the image zoomed out and it looks great. Other times, it will zoom in again when you rotate and your picture will print all wonky.

The print quality is meh. I don't expect much from an instant printer, but the print color IS always off — often there is a reddish tint. I know Instax prints always come out a little off, too, but I expect that and consider that part of the charm. I think it's easy to expect Zip prints to equal that of your home inkjet printer, but they don't come close. If I think of the Zip printer as a novelty item and not an actual replacement for professional photo printing, it's fine.

Here's a comparison between original images and how they look printed out.

Verdict:

Even though my "dislike" list is longer than my "like" list, I don't regret my purchase. For my purposes (journaling), photo quality isn't a huge priority. The app is annoying, but it (mostly) works and I can generally figure out how to get my desired outcome. It is really, really convenient for printing mini pictures and I've loved what it's added to my journal.